What's Up with the Bird Flu?

Bird Flu hasn't been in the news as much lately, but you can still find out the latest information.

Countdown to Zero

Learn more about “Countdown to Zero” – an effort to end the euthanization of healthy animals in Buncombe County - attend this press conference on February 27.

Seedling Sale to be Held March 2 & 3

Hardwood seedlings sell fast – so the sooner you get your order in, the better!

Pantry Pests

There are a number of pests that find their way into items stored on our kitchen or pantry shelves, and it is often difficult, if not impossible, to tell when the item becomes infested.

Organic Growers School

Attend practical, region-appropriate organic growing and permaculture workshops, as well as a seed exchange and trade show at the 14th Annual Organic Growers School.

St. Patrick's Day Luncheon - Senior Sightseers

Join us for a special holiday lunch—corn beef, Irish bread, drink & desert.

Pet Picture of the Week

Congratulations to Anne Piervincenzi of Fairview for the picture of her dog, Luna.

Recipe of the Week

Congratulations to Jackie Bradley of Asheville for her Spinach, Chicken, and Wild Rice Soup recipe!

Heartburn is no walk in the park. But a walk in the park may be just what the doctor ordered.

A stroll can help soothe reflux, chronic heartburn that is caused by acid backing up into the esophagus. According to one study, walking for an hour after a fatty meal helped minimize the spill and the burn. Another home remedy? 

Sometimes nothing says relief like a bottle of antacids. But if you don't have one handy, you have other options. Here are three easy home remedies for soothing heartburn symptoms:

1. Take a walk. When people with reflux walked for an hour after eating a big breakfast, the amount of time that stomach acid was in contact with the esophagus was cut by 17 percent compared to the people who just sat for several hours after the meal. But the benefit only lasted as long as the walking did, so you may need to walk to the drugstore to get your Tums.
2. Chew gum. This home remedy has a longer shelf life. People who chewed gum for an hour after a meal had less reflux for the remaining 4 hours of the study. But don't chew peppermint gum. Mint is a common heartburn trigger -- it may relax the esophageal sphincter that's supposed to help keep stomach acid from spilling back up into your esophagus. 
3. Drink milk. Some people find relief by sipping a small amount of milk every 1 to 2 hours to help wash acid back down into the stomach.

Source:  www.realage.com

Have you ever left the refrigerator door open or had your electricity go off for hours? If this has happened to you, you may have been faced with deciding what food needed to be thrown out and what you could keep. In making this decision you first need to know what was the warmest temperature your refrigerator and freezer reached. This is usually the temperature right before the electricity comes back on or when you notice the door has been left ajar.

If this temperature is still below 40°F, then you can be assured that your food is safe to keep. The only way to know the temperature inside your refrigerator and freezer is to have thermometers to read the exact temperatures for you. You can purchase them in grocery stores or other places that sell kitchen supplies. They are inexpensive and well worth it when you consider that not knowing the temperature means you have to throw out expensive meats or other foods.

So, as we are faced with the winter storms that can sometimes leave us without electricity for hours, the $5 to $15 cost for two thermometers can save money and time in the long run.

For more information on what to do if your refrigerator or freezer go off or whether food is safe to eat, call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.

We all have our days when we may just feel that we want to throw the towel in and let our children grow up on their own. These are the days, whether the children are newborns, crawling, young children, teenagers or even adults, when we just don’t feel like we have the energy to provide positive guidance. On these days remember the qualities that make it easier to guide our children.

• Having good judgment: This means making good decisions about what is best for your child and family.
• Having patience: This is the ability to control your own impulses and to wait for your child to do things, make there own decisions or realize the answers to their problems themselves. 
• Having endurance: We all need to find our own little “energizer” battery to keep us going and going and going. 
• Having commitment or desire: This means staying in touch with our genuine interest in being a parent and guiding our children. 
• Being involved: When you're tired or preoccupied with other issues in your life, you need to put those issues aside to help guide your children.

For some of us, these qualities may not feel natural and we may need to connect with the joy of parenting, like the unconditional love you get in a hug or smile when they see you, in order to find the patience or endurance to give our children our full attention when they need it.